Sack-alicious

Last night, on NBC’s prime time Sunday Night Football, the Dallas Cowboys defeated the New York Giants, 20-8. The Cowboys desperately needed the win, as they are fighting for their playoff lives. The Cowboys are now 9-5, but so are the Vikings, the Bucs, and the Falcons. The Eagles and Bears aren’t that far behind either. With the Cowboys facing the Ravens and the Eagles in their next two games, the ‘Boys needed a win…desperately.

Last week, the Cowboys lost a heartbreaker to the Steelers; a game they should have won. The Cowboys control their own destiny; if they win their last two games, they are in the tournament as the 5th seed. If the Cowboys sustain another loss, that could get dicey with the logjam in the NFC. If the Eagles win tonight, that could potentially make the season finale between the Birds and ‘Boys, a winner take all…but let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves!

This past week was a difficult one for the Cowboys, with all the media distractions, ESPN and Ed Werder the main culprits. Now, the Cowboys, mainly Owens, did bring some of that upon themselves, with their bickering over how the ball should be distributed. But winning cures many things. Last night’s win will go a long way in quieting some of the nay Sayers!

It’s a funny thing how the NFL season unfolds. After a great start (3-0), the Cowboys were being crowned Super Bowl champions. Then, there was the midseason lull; with Romo being injured…the Cowboys were done! Then, the ‘Boys reeled off three consecutive wins with Romo back at he helm…the ‘Boys are back! Last week, the ‘Boys loss to the Steelers coupled with the media distractions, and surely the Cowboys were falling apart before our eyes.

The Cowboys showed that they have the desire and the talent to win big games. Romo played well, as he spread the ball around to 9 different receivers. Now, that’s what I call ball distribution, but more importantly, keeping everyone happy! The Cowboys defense was superb. They were relentless all night long, as the ‘Boys registered 8 sacks on Manning (3 by league leading sack master extraordinaire, DeMarcus Ware). This win doesn't quite fix everything, but it sure was…sack-alicious!


Short Shots:

Two weeks ago the Cowboys were 8-4, and they were on the outside of the playoff bubble. Last week they lost, and actually gained a few spots to be the 6th seed. With yesterday’s win, they currently hold the 5th spot. If they lose next week, they could drop out of the playoff picture…go figure? I guess that’s why they play all 16 games!

Owens addressed the media last night after the game. He was cordial for the most part, and answered every question that had nothing to do with the game itself! He also called out Ed Werder, basically calling him a liar, and that he was telling tales. Good for Terrell…about time someone has the nerve to confront this ratings whoremonger!


From The Mail Room:

Matt K., Joplin, Missouri: What do you think of Choice he looked good against the giants? Are TO, Witten and Romo going to be able to work things out?

Utopia1dc: Tashard Choice has proven to be a quality RB. I think the Cowboys found a steal in the 4th round. Can you imagine the type of versatility the Cowboys would have if Felix Jones weren’t lost for the season. Next year could be fun with all three RBs. As for Romo, Witten, and Owens…they should be fine. Owens likes attention (and the ball), but I see that as a good thing. I’d hate for him (or any player, for that matter) to say that he didn’t want the ball more.

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Predictions Week 15

Each week, on Friday, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend’s games. I will always prognosticate on the Eagles and Cowboys games and then pick two or more games of interest (to me, that is, not necessarily to you). Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling. That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!

The crystal ball was mediocre last week, going 2-2 for the week. That’s not great, but we’ll take it. The crystal ball is now 25-22-1 for the season; which is three games over .500 (.531 to be exact). This week is going to be a challenge with many key match-ups. Let’s see what’s in store for us this weekend.

Last Week: 2-2

Overall: 25-22-1

New York Giants @ Dallas: The G-Men have the division all locked up. They are now looking to secure a 1st round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs! They are battling with some lingering distractions over the Plaxico Burress situation, as well as the injury to Brandon Jacobs. The Cowboys are in a state of disarray, as they lost a heartbreaker last week in Pittsburgh. The ‘Boys are also dealing with distractions that may or may not be real. ESPN is doing their best to divide the Cowboys as well. The Cowboys need this game more than the G-Men, so in a must win, the ‘Boys will pull it together with a victory! Dallas 34, New York Giants 28.

San Diego @ Kansas City: The Chiefs are playing for what little pride they may have left, while the Bolts are hanging by a thread to make the playoffs. For the Chargers to make the tournament, they need to win out and hope that the Broncos have a total collapse. Rivers and LT must take charge (no pun intended) and lift their team out of the gutter and regain some self-respect! San Diego 31, Kansas City 13.

Indianapolis @ Detroit: The Colts started off the season in turmoil. But now that Peyton Manning has regained his Pro-Bowl form, they are peaking at the right time, as they head into the playoffs! The Lions are trying to do their best not to go 0-16 for the season, but they aren’t getting that elusive win this week either. The Colts win in a blowout! Indianapolis 44, Detroit 3.

Cleveland @ Philadelphia: The Browns are going nowhere fast this year. Romeo Crennel is on the hot seat! Brady Quinn looked good in his brief stint as the starter, but he was lost for the season. Third stringer Ken Dorsey is now leading them. That’s not good for anyone! The Birds are back in the hunt and D-Mac is playing well. If Reid can keep his play calling balanced, the Birds should fly to victory. An Eagles win coupled with a Cowboys loss, and the Birds could find themselves in the drivers seat for the final seed in the NFC playoffs! Philadelphia 27, Cleveland 9.


Short Shots:

Reggie Bush (RB, Saints) left Thursday night’s game with a sprained knee. It appears that it may be serious and could sideline Bush for the remainder of the season. Either way, undrafted rookie Pierre Thomas has filled in nicely at RB for the Saints. A real steal…if you ask me!

After a rough start to the season, the Eagles find themselves a half-game back of the Cowboys for the final playoff spot in the NFC. Andy Reid and D-Mac have had to endure much criticism throughout the year. The season finale against the Cowboys could prove to be a pivotal game; in a winner take all! Look for NBC to try and flex that game to Sunday night…that would be a surefire ratings buster!



From The Mail Room:


Vet, Ambler, PA: I saw a great poll, was wondering which one you preferred.

What should T.O. get Romo for X-Mas?

Jessica Simpson CD
T.O. Autographed photo
Football for Dummies
I am with Cry Baby T-Shirt

Utopia1dc: Vet, that’s an interesting poll. I’m not sure that Romo would like the CD, as he has the real thing. I’m sure Owens has already given him an autographed photo by now as well. As for the Football for Dummies or the t-shirt, I don’t think that’s Terrell’s or Tony’s style. I think Romo might like that Santa cap and Rudolph nose that T.O. was wearing the other day during an interview!



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Reality Mail Bag - 12/12/08

Each week I will answer questions submitted by my loyal readers. I personally read every single email I receive. I will pick out the best five or so to use for the weekly post, as I won’t be able to answer all of them. I will also answer one or two questions on my daily posts as well. Now it’s time to open the mail!


Chris T., Lansdale, PA: I just saw on ESPN that TO is stirring the pot again. Is he insane to think that Romo and Whitten are designing secret plays behind his back?

Utopia1dc: Chris, I saw the same piece that ESPN did. Ed Werder broke the story, so I’m not too concerned with it. Werder has a way of exaggerating the truth to fill his time on ESPN. Wade Phillips did confirm that Owens, Williams, and Crayton did meet with Jason Garrett to discuss their roles in the offense. But that’s a far cry from Romo and Witten designing secret plays…come on people!


Tom B., Warminster, PA: Jerry Jones is out of line with his comments about Marion Barber. If he says he's hurt then he's hurt.

Utopia1dc: Tom, I tend to agree that Jones was out of line for saying that publicly. He did do his best Jerry spin control to try to diffuse the situation. Barber is known as “the Barbarian” , because of his running style. I do agree with Jones though, I was expecting that a player like Barber would tough it out. Where there’s smoke…there’s usually fire! For Jones to say this publicly, I believe there is some merit in questioning Barber’s toughness!


Kaylee F., Brooklyn, NY: The Giants are going to put your precious Cowboys out of their misery. Go Giants!

Utopia1dc: Kaylee, I suppose if your G-Men beat the Cowboys on Sunday night, they will be put out of their misery. If the ‘Boys lose, their playoff hopes go out the window. But, don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched. Your G-Men are having their own issues and that can’t bode well for them heading into the playoffs!


Mike D., Philadelphia, PA: Your Cowboys suck. If your such a big Cowboys fan why don't you move down there with all your cowgirls fans?

Utopia1dc: Mikey, if you read my profile you would have seen that I did live in Tulsa, which is a hop, skip, and a jump or two from Dallas. I enjoyed my time down there, as I was able to go to many games. I also enjoyed 2 Super Bowl victories while living down there, but I moved back because the heat was more than I could handle!

Shawn R., Abilene, TX: The Cowboys currently hold the 6th seed in the NFC but they have a hard schedule ahead of them. Are they going to be able to hang onto that final spot?

Utopia1dc: Shawn, that’s good question! It’s going to be tough because the ‘Boys play the Giants, Ravens, and the Eagles, to finish out the season. If they can win all three, they are in the tournament. If they lose Sunday to the G-Men, things could get a little crowded in the NFC. It could come down to the final game against the Birds; in a winner take all game!



Short Shots:


The ESPN machine is at it again with all the propaganda they are feeding us about the Cowboys. Now, I know that it’s good for their ratings. But if they want to talk about the Cowboys all day long, they should have taken my suggestion from earlier in the season! They should create an ESPNCowboys network. That way, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN Classics, and ESPN News can resume with their normally scheduled programming!

It appears that Pacman Jones received some good news regarding his neck injury. After getting a second opinion, he may not need surgery for his bulging disk. If things go well, he may be able to return to action in a few weeks. If the Cowboys can squeak into the playoffs…that is!

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Week 8 Review

The newly acquired crystal ball went 3-1 in its debut week, which leaves me 4 games under .500…we’re getting there! That’s an impressive start for a young and naïve crystal ball. It performed well in its new role…many people are relying on it…that’s a lot of pressure! It clearly has better prognosticating skills than its predecessor. Maybe the new mahogany base it sits on, gave it a sense of prestige. Well, for whatever reason…I’ll take it! Now let’s review what happened this past week:

Last Week: 3-1

Overall: 10-14

Tampa Bay @ Dallas: The Cowboys needed this game in a big way, especially since the rest of the NFC East teams won as well. The Cowboys defense came to play with a more hands on approach by Wade Phillips…maybe he really is a Mr. Fix-it (read more here)? It wasn’t pretty…ugly…you might say! Brad Johnson was awful…but they got the job done (read more here). Next weeks showdown with the G-Men is huge…we shall see!

Atlanta @ Philadelphia: The Falcons tried to make a game of it late but they were no match for the high-powered offense of the Eagles. The Birds were helped out late in the game when the officials blew a game-changing call. The Falcons were out of time-outs and couldn’t challenge the play. With the return of Westbrook, the offense was once again running on all cylinders. This teams dynamics change considerably when Westbrook is healthy. At 4-3, they are still a team to be reckoned with in the second half of the season!

New York Giants @ Pittsburgh: The Steelers out-played the G-men for most of the game. They had the lead, but then…Big Ben got picked and the game changed course. The Giants took advantage of the situation and stole this game on the road from the Steelers! Even though the Steelers lost, their defense showed how dominant it could be by stuffing Jacobs at the goal line on several occasions! The G-Men have a big one coming up against the Cowboys…stay tuned!

Buffalo @ Miami: With the Dolphins poaching half of the Cowboys staff and roster, Parcells and company has something good going on in South Florida! Ted Ginn decided to start living up to his high draft status by exploding with 7 receptions and 175 yards. Chad Pennington showed, that even though he doesn’t have a cannon, he could still manage a game. He threw for 314 yards and a TD…but most importantly…no picks!


Short Shots:

The World Series is on ice…well…rain, that is! Game 5 was called in the 6th Inning with the score tied at 2. The Philadelphia fans, as well as the Phillies, have been waiting since 1983 for a championship…now they will need for “mother nature” to cooperate! I guess a retractable roof would have been nice? Patience…my child…patience!

The Cowboys won despite Brad Johnson’s “noodle arm”. Can they hold down the fort for another week while many of their stars heal? The Cowboys face the division leading G-Men this week…a win would go a long way to achieving their goals (read more here).

Larry Johnson is to meet with Sheriff Goodell today for his many infractions…Good luck! He may need to wear those diapers that Dick Vermeil told him to take off a few years back!

What is going on with the Colts? Their offense is out of sync and the defense isn’t fairing much better. Peyton and company need to step it up or their "goose" may be cooked before Thanksgiving!

There Are No Style Points In The NFL

Yesterday, the Cowboys defeated Tampa Bay 13-9. The Cowboys were under a lot of pressure the past few weeks. On and off the field issues fueled the fire. Every news media outlet is looking through a microscope to see if and when the Cowboys will combust! Sorry…ESPN…not this week! We all know that you need the ratings and the material. How else would you fill your pre and post-game shows? Look elsewhere; there are 31 other teams with storylines.

Wade Phillips said he was going to be more involved in the defense…whatever he did…do it again! That was the best defensive effort I have seen from the ‘Boys in a long time. The defense played with emotion and a purpose. Maybe the insertion of young athletic players in the secondary was a breath of fresh air? Maybe the veteran players knew they needed to step up their game to compensate for the missing players? Whatever it was, it worked…defensively anyway!

The offense was out of sync all day. Owens was more involved than he has been lately, while Roy Williams caught his first TD as a Cowboy. Barber gutted out some tough yards as well. When Witten was injured (ribs)…doom was near. Surely the efforts on defense would go to waste. The offense was sputtering with no imagination on the horizon. The defense was playing lights out…holding the Bucs to field goals…bend but don’t break!

In the end, the Cowboys won despite the play of a Brad Johnson led offense. It wasn’t very pretty offensively…downright ugly even! The Cowboys managed a measly 172 yards of offense…are you kidding me? With all that talent on offense…all those Pro-Bowlers…pathetic! But Wade and company did what they needed to do…win the ball game, period! It doesn’t matter how you win. It doesn’t matter if it wasn’t pretty. It doesn’t matter if it was ugly…because…there are no style points in the NFL!



Short Shots:


The Philadelphia Phillies smoked the Tampa Bay Rays 10-2 last night to take a commanding lead in the World Series. The Phils lead the Series 3-1. If they can win tonight, the Phillies will close out the Series at home and the celebrations can begin! Philadelphia has been craving a championship for decades and the Phils are on the verge of delivering! Let’s go Phillies! The parade down Broad Street is within reach!

Mike Singletary called out TE Vernon Davis on the sideline. He then sent him to the showers while the game was still going on. He later blasted him in the post-game press conference. I don’t know how good or bad Singletary will be as a head coach in the NFL…but I guess we all know who is in charge!

The Cowboys need to address the back-up QB position in the off-season. Can Brooks Bollinger be the answer next year? I don’t know! But I do know that this team has too much talent to waste on a 40-year old has-been (Brad Johnson)!

The Bengals and the Lions remain winless thus far this season. Both coaches (Marv Lewis and Rod Marinelli) are on the proverbial hot seat! I hope they are getting their resumes ready!

Philly Is Still A Football Town

With the Phillies winning their NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers, it got me thinking whether Philadelphia is a Football town or a Baseball town? On Thursday evening on Fox, the Phillies will host the L.A. Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLCS. I’m not a big fan of baseball, but I do like the Phillies (Mets, and Yankees as well). I watch about a handful of games a year including the playoffs. I was never really into baseball…I just don’t get the fascination? I find it slow, dull, and extremely boring…unless you’re at the ballpark…then it’s a whole different story! When you’re actually at the game, it’s exciting and much more “family friendly” than football.

So, I came to wonder, with all the success the Phillies are having while the Eagles are struggling…who is winning out? Last Sunday afternoon the Eagles were playing the Redskins while the Phillies were playing the Brewers…at the same time. I figure this should be a fair comparison on the matter. So I checked the ratings to see who was winning the fans…the Eagles or the Phillies?

According to the New York Times, the Redskins-Eagles game had a local rating of 22.7, and the Phillies-Brewers game had a 13.2 local rating. So the NFL (Eagles) won out by a considerable margin against MLB (the Phillies). Now, I’m the first to admit that (to me, anyway)…that was a no brainer…the NFL should always beat out MLB! But what did catch me by surprise is that this was just a regular season game for the Birds, while it was Game 4 of the NLDS for the Phillies!

It’s amazing to me that MLB claims to be America’s Past-time, but a playoff game can’t beat out a regular season NFL game? Many of my friends and family tell me how great baseball is…if that were true, then why aren’t they watching? I do hope the Phillies can make it to the World Series and win…as I said before…I like a good parade just as much as the next guy! But in the end, it just goes to show… Philly Is Still A Football Town!